Forming machine



March 5, 1957 J. E. TEGARDEN FORMING MACHINE Filed Dec. 11, 1952 FIG! INV EN TOR.

JOHN E.TEGARDEN,DEGEASED VIRGINIAP TEGARDEN,

ADMINISTRATRIX, I

FORMING MACHINE John E. Tegarden, deceased, late of Chicago, 111., byVirginia P. Tegarden, administratrix, Chicago, 11]., assignor toLindberg Engineering Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of IllinoisApplication December 11, 1952, Serial No. 325,258

' Claims. Cl. 153-51 This invention relates to forming die constructionsand particularly to spring forming and like dies.

An object of the invention is to provide a spring forming die or thelike which is adjustable to form the work in varying shapes as desired,avoiding the necessity of furnishing different die parts for eachdifferent forming operation.

Another object is to provide a punch in a die of the class describedwhich is adjustable to present a variety of forming surfaces, forcontouring the work in a corresponding number of Ways.

A particular object is to furnish a laminar punch which includes aplurality of contacting laminae arranged for adjustment of theirsurfaces relative to each other, to change the contour of the workcontacting or forming surface of the punch.

An additional object is to provide a spring forming die or the likewhich does not stick to the work being formed and to provide lubricationmeans to accomplish that object.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a die punch means fordelivering a lubricant to the work forming surface of the punch.

A particular object is to provide in the laminae of a laminar punchmeans for lubricating the work forming surface.

A further object is to provide a matrix in a die of the class describedwhich will conform to the various forming surfaces presented by thepunch.

A still further object is to provide a flexible, resilient matrixsuitable for use in conjunction with a variety of punch surfaces.

An additional object is to furnish such a matrix which is also porous,to enable rapid quenching of the work.

Another object is to provide a spring forming die which includes acombination of a punch adjustable to provide a number of differentforming surfaces and a matrix which will conform to the punch formingsurfaces.

Still another object is to provide a die of the class described incombination with a quench bath and wherein the die and the work enterthe bath following forming of the work.

Additional objects include the provision of a spring forming die whichis economically constructed and which is easily assembled, adjusted, andoperated.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent onconsideration of the following description and the accompanying drawingillustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which the likeparts are identified by like reference characters in each of the views,and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a die embodying the features ofthe invention, with parts of the construction broken away and insection.

Figure 2 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 1 after the formingoperation and during quenching.

Figure 3 is a broken side view partly in section of nite States Patent 0the embodiment shown in Figure 1 and showing also a frame and anactuating cylinder.

Figure 4 is a broken perspective view of a lamina, part of the die punchin the embodiment shown.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a die including an upper punch10 and a lower matrix 11, each supported by and slidably movable in aframe 12. Between the punch and the matrix is a representation of thework 13, a piece part. The punch 10 is composed of a plurality oflaminae 14 contacting each other at their wide surfaces 15, some ofwhich surfaces are also provided with longitudinal grooves 16, as shownin Figures 3 and 4. The laminae 14 are inserted between end plates 17and 18 and adjusted relative to each other to provide any desired shapedwork forming surface 19 or bottom contour on the punch. The work formingsurface is composed of adjacent transverse narrow surfaces 29 which arethe ends of the laminae 14. The laminae 14 are clamped together in fixedpositions by means of a set screw 21 or the like, which engages one endplate 17. The laminae 14 are also enclosed within side plates 22 and 23at their upper ends 24, which plates and upper ends with the end plates17 and 18 and a header bar 25, to which the side and end plates aresecured, form a header 26 which extends upwardly in the embodiment shownto provide an oil reservoir 27 above the ends 24 of the laminae oppositeto the work forming surface 19. Through one side plate 23 is inserted atube 28 or the like which is connected with a source of oil, not shown,in a manner ot provide a constant oil level in the reservoir 27.

The header bar 25 slidably engages the frame 12 for vertical movementand is connected to a piston 29 which is in turn actuated by suitablemeans such as a gas or hydraulic cylinder 30. The cylinder is secured tothe frame 12 and when operated, it vertically moves the piston 29 andthus the punch 10, causing the work forming. surface 19 of the punch tocontact and form the work 13 or to withdraw the punch from the formedwork.

The matrix 11 includes a block 31 on which are mounted standards 32which support two sprocket wheels 33 spaced from and above the block.The sprocket wheels are located at opposite ends of the block and theyand their standards serve as primary supports for a chain 34 or similarflexible Work bed, which engages the sprocket wheels 33. The ends of thechain are secured to tension springs 35 which are in turn secured attheir remaining ends to the block 31. Disposed between the sprocketwheels 33 are a pair of resilient auxiliary supports for the chain 34which include rollers 36 supported in roller standards 37, which are inturn resiliently supported on compression springs 38. The lower ends ofthe roller standards 37 and the compression springs 38 are enclosed insocket members 39 which are movably secured to the top of the block 31,for longitudinal movement thereon.

filled with oil, which encloses the lower ends of the frame 12 andsupports them onthe base of the tank. The tank is dimensioned to enclosethe matrix 11 and the lower, operative end of the punch 10.

In operation, a number of laminae 14 are inserted between the end plates17 and 18 and the side plates 22 and 23, and their resulting bottomcontour, which is the work forming surface 19, is adjusted to correspondto the shape of the desired product, advantageously with the aid of awooden pattern. The set screw 21 and the remaining members of the punchare then tightened, and the reservoir 27 is filled with oil. The rollers36 of the auxiliary supports for the chain 34 are then located betweenthe sprocket wheels 33 of the primary supports to correspond to the sizeof the piece part 13, or work, to

be formed. A hot piece part is next placed on the upper surface of thechain 34, and the cylinder 30 is actuated to move the punch downwardly.The punch contacts the piece part 13, forming it on the chain 34, intoan arcuate spring in the embodiment shown. The chain yields in responseto the pressure from above while at the same time and owing to the forceof the tension springs 35 and the compression springs 38, the chainexerts upward forces on the piece part so that it is formed evenly withthe proper curvature. The whole assembly moves downwardly from the timethe punch contacts the piece part, and immediately after the formingoperation, it descends into the oil-filled tank 40 where the formedpiece part is quenched. During the operation of the die, oil flows fromthe reservoir 27 through the grooves .16 in the laminae 14 onto the workforming surface 19 of the punch 10, so that when the punch contacts thepiece part 13, fusion of the two is precluded. After quenching, thecylinder 36 is actuated to Withdraw the punch 16, and the matrix 11 andpiece part 13 are raised from the bath by any suitable means, such as bypulleys 41, shown in part. After removing the formed piece part, the dieis ready for further operation in the same manner.

There is thus provided by the invention aversatile die, suited for avariety of forming operations while eliminating the need for a number ofdifferently constructed punch and matrix members. The laminae may beadjusted in position to correspond to the desired shape in a spring orthe like, and the matrix readily adapts itself to the contour presentedby the laminae. A further advantage obtained by the use of laminae isthat the individual members are easily grooved to provide uniformlyarranged oil conduits for effective dispersal of oil on the Work formingsurface of the punch. The die is easily and rapidly operated andespecially advantageous for continuous type operation.

What is claimed is:

1. A spring forming die or the like which comprises a punch including aplurality of contacting laminae arranged for movement of their surfacesrelative to each other to alter the contour of the work forming surfaceof said punch, said laminae being provided with longitudinal grooves insome of their contacting surfaces providing liquid passageways betweensaid work forming surface and the surface of said punch oppositethereto, means forming a header with said opposite surface, and a matrixopposed to said Work forming surface and having a Work bed adapted toconform thereto.

2. A spring forming die or the like which comprises a punch including aplurality of contacting laminae arranged for movement of their surfacesrelative to each other to alter the contour of the work forming surfaceof said punch, said laminae being provided with longitudinal grooves insome of their contacting surfaces providing liquid passageways betweensaid work forming surface and the surface of said punch oppositethereto, means forming a header with said opposite surface, and a matrixopposed to said work forming surface and including a block mountablemovably over a quench bath, a flexible work bed supported by said blockin spaced relation thereto,

and resilient means connecting respective ends of said work bed to saidblock.

3. A spring forming die or the like which comprises a punch including aplurality of contacting laminae arranged for movement of their surfacesrelative to each other to alter the contour of the work forming surfaceof said punch in combination with an opposed matrix including a block, aflexible work bed supported at opposite ends thereof in spaced relationto said block by primary supports secured to said block, spacedresilient auxiliary supports movably secured to said block andsupporting said work bed at points intermediate the points of support'bysaid primary supports, and resilient means connecting respective saidends of said work bed to said block.

4. A spring forming die or the like which comprises a punch including arow of laminae in which adjacent laminae contact each other at theirrespective wide surfaces and are provided with longitudinal grooves insome of their said wide surfaces, means detachably clamping said laminaetogether in fixed positions to provide a work forming surfacecorresponding to one group of their adjacent transverse narrow surfaces,means forming a header with the remaining said group of transversesurfaces, said grooves providing liquid passageways from said header tosaid Work forming surface, and a matrix opposed to said work formingsurface and including a block, a flexible work bed supported at oppositeends thereof in spaced relation to said block by primary supportssecured to said block, spaced resilient auxiliary supports movablysecured to said block and supporting said Work bed at pointsintermediate the points of support by said primary supports, andresilient means connecting respective said ends of said Work bed to saidblock.

5. Forming apparatus which comprises the combination of a quench bath, aframe, a matrix movably mounted on said frame over said bath, a punchmovably mounted on said frame over said matrix, said matrix including ablock movably mounted over said bath and a flexible work bed resilientlyconnected to said block and supported thereby in spaced relationthereto, said punch including a plurality of contacting laminae arrangedfor movement of their surfaces relative to each other to alter thecontour of the work forming surface of the punch, said laminae beingprovided with longitudinal grooves in some of their contacting surfacesproviding liquid passageways between said work forming surface and thesurface of said punch opposite thereto, and means forming a header withsaid opposite surface, said punch being movable onto the work on saidwork bed to form the work, and said punch and said matrix being movablewith the formed work into said bath to quench the work.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS166,918 De Forest Aug. 24, 1875 258,382 Creagan et al May 23, 1882484,264 Trist Oct. 11, 1892 1,275,377 Buckley et al Aug. 13, 19181,776,983 Peterson Sept. 16, 1930 2,299,350 Rowlands et al. Oct. 20,1942 2,324,982 Kuhn July 20, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 527,795 France Apr. 2,192i 174,765 Great Britain Feb. 6, 1922

